Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger has been knighted by Prince Charles - and played the honour down by saying he did not take it "too seriously".

Sir Mick, a rock legend after 40 years at the top, was honoured at Buckingham Palace for services to music.

Wearing a black suit, leather jacket and trainers, he said: "You should wear [honours] lightly and not get carried away with your own self-importance."

The prince conducted the ceremony because the Queen has had knee surgery.

Sir Mick, 60, said he was "very relaxed" with the prince because "I've met him quite a few times and we've had some nice chats".

I think he would probably like to get the same honour himself

Sir Mick Jagger on Keith Richards

"I don't get nervous, it's more exhilaration.

"It's very nice to have honours given to you as long as you don't take it all too seriously."

He also hit back at to bandmate Keith Richards' criticism of the "ludicrous" decision to accept a "paltry honour".

"I think he would probably like to get the same honour himself," Sir Mick said.

"It's like being given an ice cream - one gets one and they all want one. It's nothing new. Keith likes to make a fuss."

Richards had said he did not want to go on stage with someone wearing a "coronet and sporting the old ermine", adding: "It's not what the Stones is about, is it?"

Jagger dressed down in Adidas trainers for the ceremony

Tony Blair - who played Stones covers in his university band - insisted the singer accept the honour, according to Richards.

Sir Mick was accompanied to the palace by his father Joe, 92, and daughters Elizabeth, 19, and Karis, 32.

The singer's brother Christopher asked him if he would now have to call him Sir. "Only occasionally," was the reply.

Once regarded as an anti-establishment figure, Sir Mick was convicted on drugs charges in 1967 - later overturned on appeal - and released an album called Their Satanic Majesties Request in the same year.

Also that year, he told the BBC: "I don't really want to be part of the now establishment, but unfortunately you can't but help create your own establishment, and that's what we're doing."

Merseybeat star Gerry Marsden was also honoured

On Friday, Sir Mick said that process was complete, telling reporters: "I don't think the establishment as we knew it exists any more."

The Stones have gone on to be one of the world's most successful and enduring rock bands, recently finishing a 14-month world tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

The date of Jagger's investiture was moved from Wednesday, the day when "man of the moment" England rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson was made an MBE.

Jagger, who is originally from Dartford in Kent, joined a host of other names from the arts and entertainment world at the palace on Friday.

Arts honours

Fellow rock veterans Gerry Marsden, of Gerry and the
Pacemakers and Procul Harum's Gary Brooker were made MBEs for their charity work.

Artist Dame Elizabeth Blackadder was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

The head of London's Barbican Centre and former broadcaster Sir John Tusa was made a Knight Bachelor for services to the arts.

And former president of the British Board of Film Classification, Andreas Whittam Smith, was made a CBE for services to the film industry.